Q539: Is there a legal requirement to give a witness statement to the police?

Whilst there is no legal requirement to give a witness statement to the police there is a moral duty on each of us to help the police with their enquiries.

For many, the prospect of giving a statement and appearing in court is frightening for reasons such as fear of reprisals and nervousness about going to court. The police and courts are much more aware of the situation and have procedures in place to help witnesses cope with their fears. See question in related information for more details.

However, it must be noted that the Court has the power to order a person attend court to give evidence and if this happened it could make the ordeal much worse.

For more information please see the websites in related information. There is a link to the 'Help for Victims' website and a Youtube video guide to the website.